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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

The news follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as development progresses.